Two-time defending champion Carlos Alcaraz reached the Wimbledon semifinals by beating unseeded Cam Norriethe last British player in either singles bracket, 6-2, 6-3, 6-3 on Tuesday.
Alcaraz extended his career-best winning streak to 23 matches — the longest tour-level win streak by any man 22 or younger since Juan Martin del Potro won 23 straight matches in 2008 from Stuttgart to the US Open as a 19-year-old. Alcaraz turned 22 in May.
Second-seeded Alcaraz, making his fifth main draw appearance, improved to 23-2 at Wimbledon; among men to debut in the Open era, only Bjorn Borg has more match wins in his first five appearances at the All England Club.
After Norrie held serve to open the match on Centre Court, Alcaraz took control by rattling off the next five games against the left-hander.
He blazed through the opening set in 28 minutes, many of the Centre Court seats still empty as fans sought refreshment after watching Aryna Sabalenka‘s 2-hour-and-54-minute quarterfinal victory.
Alcaraz never let Norrie into the match — facing only five break points and saving all of them. He compiled 39 winners and 13 aces to go with 26 unforced errors.
“To be able to play another semifinal here at Wimbledon is super special,” Alcaraz said in an on-court interview after finishing off his quarterfinal match in 1 hour, 39 minutes.
Alcaraz won 89% of his first-serve points against Norrie, the highest mark in any major match of his young career.
He will face No. 5 American Taylor Fritz for a spot in the final.
Alcaraz will have two days off before facing Fritz on Friday, owing to the All England Club schedule.
When asked how he would use the time, one fan in the crowd suggested he could return to Ibiza, the Balearic island where Alcaraz celebrated after winning his second consecutive French Open last month.
Alcaraz had something more sedate in mind.
“For sure I’m going to play some golf, just to switch up my mind a little bit,” Alcaraz said.
He has been playing golf with Andy Murray during his Wimbledon run.
This time, his opponent could be actor Tom Hollandwhom he had run into earlier.
“I would love to play against him in the golf course. For me it would be such an honor. I will try to set it up in these two days that I will have much time to do it. So let’s see if he will be available, and we’ll tee it up.”
Alcaraz is looking to become the fourth man to win the French Open and Wimbledon in the same year multiple times. He would join Borg (3 times: 1978-80), Rod Laver (1962, 1969) and Rafael Nadal (2008, 2010).
ESPN Research, The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
